The Letter Box
by Kiyoshi'sGirl64
Summary: Yusuke finds some letters belonging to Hiei. They may show why Hiei is so bitter, cold, and hateful. The contents may also have the power to destroy Hiei and Kurama's friendship, as well as the Reikai Tentai, if they are ever revealed and understood. R&R.
1. Prologue

The only character I own throughout the entire story is Moriko

* * *

Hiei was staying at Kurama's place, in the spare bedroom. One day, he didn't quite get his door completely shut as he was leaving. Yusuke caught sight of this and, knowing Hiei was out, decided to take a look inside. To his surprise, it was almost exactly the same as he'd seen it before, with only a few telltale signs that someone was actually living there: the bed was unmade, there were a couple pieces of clothing hung over the back of a chair, a picture of Yukina sat on the bedside table. All impersonal enough that the room could have belonged to anyone. Kuwabara, for example.

As he was turning to leave, the sun glinted off something lying next to the pillow, catching Yusuke's eye. Curious, he turned around to see what it was. To his surprise, it was a simple, tin box, about the length and width of a paperback book, probably an inch deep. Yusuke wandered over and picked it up. On the top, _Jaganshi Hiei_ was written in small, neat lettering. Still curious, and because that's what he did, Yusuke took the box with him and left the room. He had touched nothing, excluding the box and doorknob, so the disappearance of the box was the only thing different.

And when Hiei returned, the thing he valued almost more than anything, second only to his katana, had vanished.

Yusuke had gone home by then, the small, tin box in tow. He noticed it was very light, as if nothing was inside of it. When he opened it, however, he found that it was almost full. And it was filled nearly to the top with something he hadn't suspected, something he never would have guessed. Hiei had a box of… letters. Why? Why had he kept them so long? They were obviously old. Judging by the fact that they were yellowing and the edges were frayed, they were very old. Not to mention the detail that what they were written on wasn't so much paper as it was parchment. They had to be a hundred years old, at least.

Without looking at the signature at the bottom, Yusuke deduced that it couldn't be Yukina. She had no idea Hiei was her brother. Yusuke resolved to read them in order to find out who was important enough to Hiei for him to have kept the letters they wrote to him for all these years.


	2. Letter 1

The only character I own who is so far named is Moriko. _Italics will always be what Moriko wrote._** Bold will always be Yusuke's thoughts.** Regular type will be anything said aloud or observed 3rd person. Read on.

* * *

_ October 16, 1894; Human Realm_

_Dear Hiei,_

_I miss you already, and you have only been gone for three days. How pathetic is that? I  
do not know how I will survive four months alone. Especially not knowing what you are  
doing, or if you are even alive, because I know you will not write back; you are just not  
like that. And you never did promise me you would tell me what you are doing when you  
get back in February._

_Well, I suppose all that is not entirely accurate; I will not be alone for four months. My  
brother is coming back in November—I will never understand him. He is the  
stereotypical heartless demon, yet he takes the time to visit his little sister—half-sister,  
actually—three times a year. Is it just me or does that seem bizarre? Of course,  
I have always suspected it was more to protect himself and his reputation. And no, I  
cannot tell you who he is. We agreed that if I do not tell anyone we are related, he will  
allow me to associate with anyone I please; so long as I do not tell him who in case it is  
one of his enemies. I have explained this to you before, Hiei, and nothing has changed.  
So do not even bother asking._

_Although, I will never know for sure why he checks in. He claims it is to keep me from  
being used by other demons to get to him, and part of me wants to believe him; believe  
someone actually cares about me. That is also his reason for forcing me to stay in this  
wretched realm. I so wish I could have come to Makai with you. Do you know how volatile  
and disgusting the human race is? And that is not to mention the half-demons that  
reside here. Which do you think it is, Hiei? I mean, the reason my brother checks in on  
me._

_Well, there's nothing else I wanted to say, except that I miss you more than I have  
ever missed anyone. Do you miss me? I hope you do, it might make you come back to  
me faster. Please, please write me back._

_ Your lonely forest child,  
__ Moriko_

To keep things straight, Yusuke had decided to read the letters in chronological order. He wouldn't have done this if he hadn't noted that each was dated, the oldest being _October 16, 1894; Human Realm_. **Human Realm?** Yusuke thought. **How could that be? Hiei hates humans, so why does he keep a case of letters from someone living in the Human Realm? That location generally means they're **human**, doesn't it?**

Yusuke received his first shock in the first line. **Who in their right mind would place the word **dear** directly in front of Hiei's name?** Yusuke wondered. He then read on stopping now and again to think about what he had just read. _He's the stereotypical heartless demon_ he read at one point and thought **Ah, so this **isn't** from a human but from a half-demon or demon merely living in the human realm.** Later when the writer was complaining about humans and half-demons, Yusuke deduced: **She must be a full-blood demon, to harbor that much hate against humans and half-demons for no apparent reason. Especially considering she was willing to go to **Makai** with **Hiei**.**

When he had finished the letter, Yusuke refolded it and placed it back in the box. He didn't think he could read another just yet. For some inexplicable reason, this person cared deeply about Hiei. Enough that she _wanted_ to follow him to the Demon Realm, if only she could. Just trying to comprehend someone liking Hiei that much just about fried Yusuke's brain. He had to talk to Kurama. Immediately.

Ten minutes later, he was knocking on the door of the Minamino household. Luckily, Kurama was the one who answered. "Is Hiei here?" Yusuke asked. When Kurama nodded, he continued, "Then I can't talk to you here. In ten or fifteen minutes make up some excuse to visit me. It's urgent."

"It was you." Kurama breathed. "You're the one who stole Hiei's precious box."

Yusuke nodded. "That's what I need to talk to you about." He said. And then he left.

Thirty minutes later, Kurama arrived at Yusuke and Atsuko's house. Fortunately, Atsuko wasn't home. "What is so important that you would make me come all the way over here?" Kurama asked impatiently.

"The contents of that box." Yusuke replied, "I couldn't handle them on my own. They're letters, Kurama. Letters written in the 1890s, Human Realm. They're from some female demon—"

"I don't want to hear anymore," Kurama interrupted. "If you're going to snoop into Hiei's personal business, you'll have to do it alone. I don't want any part of it. He's my best friend, and if he doesn't want me to know something, then that's okay with me. I'm not going to go behind his back to find it. Heaven knows I've kept some secrets from him. Just one thing: what's her name? You said she was a demon; I might know who she is."

"Moriko. 'Forest child,' she calls herself." Yusuke replied.

Kurama blinked once, said "Thanks, I have to go now." And left, his brow furrowed so deeply his eyebrows met just above his nose.


	3. Letter 2

The only character I own who is so far named is Moriko. _Italics will always be what Moriko wrote._ **Bold will always be Yusuke's thoughts.** Regular type will be anything said aloud or observed third person. Read on.

* * *

_November 13, 1894; Human Realm_

_Dear Hiei,_

_I cannot believe you actually wrote back to me! And the letter was so sweet and  
comforting. Just like you! And yes, I think that you are probably right. I think my  
brother does check in on me because he cares about me and his reputation.  
Which brings me to the next thing I wanted to tell you._

_He arrives tomorrow. And, to be honest, I am afraid. He always scared me a little  
before he became famous. No, before he became notorious. After that, he became  
arrogant as well. Now I am more than a little afraid of him. Him and his plants. He  
controls them a lot better than I control mine, unfortunately. That probably has  
something to do with the fact that he has been doing it for five hundred years  
longer than I have, though. I do not think that you can imagine how much I wish  
you were here right now. I bet you could help me. You always know what to say  
to everyone in any circumstance. That is one of the reasons I like you so much._

_Where are you right now? How long would it take you to get here, to get to me,  
if I needed you? I know you are fast, but how fast? Could you be back here with  
me before anyone realized you were gone? Could you come get me and take me  
away before my brother gets here? I can answer that one on my own. No, you  
cannot. This letter will not have even reached you by then, which saddens me._

_In response your last question, I would love to. But I do not think we should try.  
My brother would track us down if we ran away together. He is good at that. I tried  
running from him once. At the most opportune moment even: two months after  
he left, two before he was due home. But even then he somehow knew. I had just  
crossed over into Makai when he caught up with me. He has nearly unlimited  
means of finding whoever he wants to find. If we ran away together he would surely  
kill you, thinking you had kidnapped me or gotten me to reveal his name or some  
such nonsense. And I could not bear to lose you, Hiei. Especially at the hands of  
my only family. So we cannot run away. Not yet. Not until we know we are strong  
enough together to beat him. So just come to me as soon as you can._

_Your secretly terrified forest child,  
__Moriko_

It had been several hours since Yusuke had read the first letter. It was nearly two thirty in the morning and he still hadn't been able to fall asleep because his mind was so full of that letter. So he got out of bed and retrieved the box and sat down to read the second letter. **It's dated about a month after the first**, he noted. Then read the first couple lines and thought **Who could ever think **_**Hiei**_** was **_**sweet**_**?** Then a thought occurred to him: **What if the Hiei this girl know was a completely different Hiei from the one we know now? What if Hiei did have the ability to care about others, but something happened that drastically changed him?** Nervous because of this revelation, Yusuke read on.

_You always know what to say_ he read. **Hiei? Know what to say?** Yusuke wondered. **He rarely speaks more than three syllables at a time, and then it is generally just to insult someone's intelligence. But time and experiences do change people—God, I'm a prime example of that. What if Hiei is too? Is the fire demon she knew the person behind the wall Hiei's built around himself to keep everyone out?** Now Yusuke was just confusing himself; he wasn't usually this open-minded.

_Could you come get me—_Yusuke realized now that this demon cared about Hiei a hell of a lot. Not as much as he cared for Keiko, but close.

**Run away together?** Yusuke thought when he finished the letter. **And as Hiei's idea, too.** This was big. These letters were big, bigger than Yusuke could have imagined. Not only had someone cared for Hiei, but the cold, apparently heartless fire demon they all knew had cared for that person in return. Had cared enough to write back to her. **And he still cares about her**, Yusuke realized. Why else would he have kept these letters for so many years?

Again Yusuke felt he needed to talk to Kurama but this time he refrained. He knew Kurama didn't wish to learn Hiei's personal history. Something in Yusuke tugged him toward the phone, told him to call Kurama, almost as if the contents of the letters would have an effect on him as well as Hiei. But, against what he felt was his better judgment, Yusuke ignored it and, as it was now nearly three in the morning, decided to go to sleep.

That night, even as Yusuke lay unaware, his subconscious was spinning an idea—or a revelation—about the girl Moriko. A revelation that could destroy not only the team but Kurama and Hiei's friendship as well if it was ever fully realized.


	4. Letter 3

The only character I own who is so far named is Moriko. _Italics will always be what Moriko wrote._ **Bold will always be Yusuke's thoughts.** Regular type will be anything said aloud or observed 3rd person. Read on.

_

* * *

_

December 21, 1894; Human Realm

_Dear Hiei,_

_My brother left yesterday. I received your letter a week after he arrived. I read it every  
single day. I honestly do not understand why you write back to me. All I do is ramble on  
about my brother and how much I miss you, which is an insane amount._

_But, thinking of my brother, he has changed since the last time I saw him, four months  
ago. Well, his physical appearance anyway. He grew out his hair. Now he can conceal his  
stupid plants in it and have weapons with him at all times._

_I have always been jealous of that hair. Perfectly straight, wondrously thick, and an  
absolutely beautiful color. It is probably all because of the type of demon he happens to  
be. He is the lucky one of the two of us. We got the ability to control flora from our mother.  
As you know, my father was a neko demon, hence my coarse, dark hair. His parentage  
was better, but I shall not tell you what it is to protect you and myself._

_Oh my god. It is gone. I just realized. The necklace you gave me—he took it. The one that  
makes the wearer silent as death. I probably should not tell you this, but at this point I  
really do not care if you figure out his identity or not. But, along with his talents of finding  
people, he is good at taking things. Very good. Incredibly and unbelievably good. I have not  
discovered a lock he could not get through nor do I think I ever will. He is just that talented  
at getting into things he should not be getting into._

_When are you coming back? Sooner than the February we had planned, I hope. If not until  
then, will you at least tell me what you are doing out there in Makai?_

_There is something else I feel I must tell you. The problem is I do not know how. I am very  
confused about it. I think I will have to tell you in person, because I cannot think of any  
appropriate way to put it down on paper. It is just way to big for that._

_Write back as soon as you get this._

_Your confused forest child,  
__Moriko_

Yusuke had woken up earlier than was usual and, unable to fall back to sleep, got up and began reading the third letter. This one was from December of 1894. He had to admit that she was right, though. All she did was ramble on and on about her mysterious brother and how she wanted Hiei to come back to the Human Realm.

**What's all this about hair?** Yusuke wondered. **Then again,** he realized, **It was a girl writing the letter.**

In the next paragraph, however, he found something rather interesting. A necklace. A very powerful necklace. But the necklace's abilities weren't what interested Yusuke. _The necklace you gave me—he took it,_ she wrote. _The necklace you gave me._ **Hiei had cared enough to give her something incredibly powerful. Something he could have easily kept and used for himself.** Yusuke thought.

Then Yusuke read that the girl's brother was good at _taking things_. Stealing. **He was a thief.** Yusuke thought with a sudden burst of intuition. Then a moment later thought **But if he was a thief, why does he remind me of someone? And why can't I either figure out who or shake the feeling that I actually know the guy? Then again, I don't know any demonic thieves anyway.**

Yusuke's curiosity skyrocketed as he read the last paragraph. **What has her so confused? And why can't she write it down?** He thought. He immediately turned, refolded the letter, found the next one, and began to read.


	5. Letter 4

_January 19, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_I could sing! You know how I was confused at the end of my last letter but did not tell you why? Well, in your last paragraph, you nailed the reason. I was convinced telling you would be so much more complicated. But, judging by how I feel now, it is actually very simple. So I will tell you in four words: I love you too!_

_When I read your letter the first time, I totally missed your reason for being in the demon plane. The second time, however, I caught it. And I cannot believe you have a sister! It is so exciting. Yukina is a beautiful name, as well. I do feel slightly jealous, though. First is because she has a brother who cares deeply about her. Second is because that brother is you and you left me in order to attempt to find her. I do not mean to make you feel guilty; I am merely attempting to be as honest as I possible can._

_It is the New Year here. I am still not sure what is so exciting about it. One year ends, another begins. It is the natural order of things. Of course, I have seen more years pass than any of the humans celebrating it ever will. You probably have as well._

_I am still mad at my brother. I have discovered some other valuables missing. Unsurprisingly, they are only things he could use. That is, use to steal more stuff. Despite this, I am still incredibly happy, thanks to your letter._

_You can write back, or not, as you wish. Whatever you choose will be fine with me. It is now close enough to your return date that I will not be hurt if you do not. Of course, I would love it if you chose to write, but do not feel obligated to do so._

_Your ecstatic forest child,  
__Moriko_

Koenma, Kurama, or even Botan would have noticed the change. But, since it was Yusuke, the fact that the word _dear_ had just become _dearest_ went unnoticed. Fortunately, he caught the last word in the first paragraph: too. He realized the implication as well. Hiei had told Moriko he loved her. Yusuke thought **If he loved her then… maybe he still loves her and that's the reason he acts the way he does.** To say Yusuke was astonished by this revelation probably would have been the biggest understatement uttered from the time the letter he held was written, to the time when he read it.

Yusuke's second shock came shortly afterward. Yukina. Hiei was in Makai searching for Yukina. **I knew he'd been looking for her for a long time… but that's nearly one hundred years! If not more. He cares about her more than I ever realized…** Yusuke said to himself.

In the last paragraph, Yusuke became confused (big surprise…). If Hiei was going to return in a month, when were the rest of the letters from? There had to be at least five more in the box at his feet.

Brrringgg! Yusuke jumped, not ready for the telephone to ring. He quickly got up and answered it, "Hello?"

"Yusuke?" It was Kurama. "Did you have the insight to put talismans up around your room, expecting Hiei to use the Jagan to find his box?"

"Yes…"

Yusuke could almost hear Kurama shaking his head in disbelief in his next words, "Yusuke… Well, not only is he pissed, but he's panicking as well. An angry, panicked fire demon is not something we need. Or even something we want."

"Well… I will return them as soon as I finish reading them. And… I really think you should read them, too. I have the strangest feeling that they _are_ your business, despite what you think. A feeling that you're already involved, somehow.

"Although I'm probably wrong," Kurama began, "I have to agree. I'm coming over." And he hung up before Yusuke had a chance to respond.

Ten minutes later, Kurama showed up. Yusuke then briefed him on the contents of the first four letters. When Yusuke had finished, Kurama pulled a rosebud out of his hair. He turned it around in his fingers, seemingly contemplating everything he had heard with a look of inexplicable sadness on his face. A few moments later he said, "Okay. Let's read the next letter." A decisiveness had replaced the torment in his eyes, as if he had resolved something with himself, and Yusuke got the feeling that Kurama knew something he wasn't saying.


	6. Letter 5

_March 6, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_The month we spent together was the best of my life. It is, and always will be, burned into my memory. And it only made me love you even more. It also made it harder to say goodbye. I miss you. Please come home. Please. Without you, my world lacks meaning. Without you, I feel like nothing. I am nothing without you; you mean everything to me._

_I still have not figured out what the bracelet you gave me does. I put it on and nothing happens. But I just cannot fathom you giving me some human trinket. The bracelet has deeper meaning or amazing powers, I know that much. Because you are like me in believing that humans are vile, despicable creatures. Please tell me what it does._

_My brother will return at the end of next month. I just thought that you should know. Should I confront him about the things he stole? They are, after all, mine. I think I will. Or at least I will try to do so._

_I miss you more than I can say, and love you dearly._

_Your depressed forest child,  
__Moriko_

The first thing Yusuke registered was that this letter was shorter than the others. Kurama, obviously the faster reader, paled continuously with every word he read off the page Yusuke was holding.

When Yusuke was done, he looked at Kurama. Kurama was much better at evaluating, assessing, and analyzing things like this. Kurama just shook his head disbelieving. Finally, in a voice so quiet he could have been talking to himself, he whispered, "This is what I was afraid of. This girl, this Moriko, is the same Moriko I knew."

"You knew her well?"

"Yes. Few people knew more about her than I did. Hiei, apparently, was one of those few. I never knew she had this many problems with her brother. I didn't know she was this terrified of him." Kurama exhaled slowly, trying to soak all the information in.

"Well, other than telling Hiei she loves him I don't think that there is anything important in the letter." Yusuke said after a few moments of silence.

"No. The bracelet. At one point, I was there at her house and saw a bracelet. It had an aura of its own, but I could not figure out what it did. The next time I picked it up, however, it tried to tell me something. I think the bracelet had a partner, was part of a two-piece set. Each perfectly worthless without the other, but ultimately useful because the two owners could communicate with one another over any distance. But she obviously doesn't know that yet. So let's read the next one."


	7. Letter 6

_April 19, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_I figured out what the bracelet does! So why am I writing this letter, you ask? Well, although the bracelet works as a communication device, it does not transfer words clearly over a longer period of time, making it difficult to enjoy a lengthy conversation. Do not take this the wrong way. I enjoy hearing your voice like nothing else in this world, or the one you are in, or in Reikai. However, I have more information I want to impart to you than I can in that short time._

_Where do you get this jewelry, though? The necklace, the bracelet, both with powerful, demonic properties. Speaking of demonic, are you in Makai yet? And when do you plan to return?_

_By the way, I am a bit energetic right now. I decided to try a curious human drink. They call it coffee, and now I have a ridiculous amount of excess energy. I absolutely cannot sit still._

_I am also slightly jumpy. My brother is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but he is liable to show up a day early or a day late. I do not know if I told you this before. I think he just does it to keep me on my toes and to prove that he does not feel obligated to fulfill every promise he makes. But I have always known that._

_Please write back. Please. I miss you and the bracelet just is not enough. I love you. More than I probably should._

_Your jittery forest child,  
Moriko_

Yusuke finished reading and said to Kurama, "You were right." Then he noticed Kurama's face had completely drained of color.

"Unfortunately." Kurama muttered, pulling the rosebud back out of his hair, twirling it again.

And Yusuke finally made the connection he had previously been unable to make.

"It's you!" Yusuke exclaimed. Kurama looked up at Yusuke, startled by the sudden accusation until Yusuke completed his thought: "Her brother reminded me of someone, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out whom. But it's you."

Kurama relaxed very slightly, a bit uneasy because of Yusuke's declaration. He concealed the rose back in his hair, refolded the letter, and opened the next one.

* * *

Ack! I just realized... it's been a while since I did a disclaimer (oops!)... So... of the characters who have been named so far, I only own Moriko. I think there is one other character that I own, who has been mentioned. That's it. And just so you know, the name of Moriko's brother will be revealed next chapter (although, at least three of you have already figured it out, and most everyone else brobably has too!) but whatever!

FCL64


	8. Letter 7

_May 15, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_Thank you for your supportive letter. It made dealing with my stupid older brother a hell of a lot easier._

_I confronted him about the necklace. He lied and told me he had no idea what I was talking about. And he is such a convincing liar that I freaking believed him! But I do not trust him one little bit now that he is gone._

_Sometimes I think I would like to side with Reikai. They want him dead, badly. But their stupid bounty hunters just cannot take him down. Unfortunately. And if I employed their help, I would forever become an outcast. A disgrace. A traitor. Besides they probably would not leave a scratch on him and he would turn right around and kill me._

_I am very tired. I have been up for nearly seventy-two hours straight. I was drinking coffee again… I did not realize it could keep you from falling asleep._

_Love you so much. I would love to keep writing, but I really need to sleep. Good luck finding Yukina._

_Your exhausted forest child,  
__Moriko_

By the end of the letter, Yusuke was at a loss for words. He still felt as if he was missing something. Something important. Something that was right under his nose. And he suspected it was the same something he knew Kurama wasn't telling him.

Eventually Kurama looked Yusuke in the eye and said, "If you haven't made the connection yet, I don't think you will. But if these letters go where I think they're going, you'll need an explanation for my reactions." He paused, then continued. "The pain will not be because of the pain Moriko caused Hiei, but the pain that I essentially caused him." Here Kurama stopped.

After a few minutes of tense silence, he went on. "Hiei is not the only one who has a sibling. A sibling that has been kept secret. The difference is, with Hiei, his sister is basically the only important party who doesn't know of their relationship. In my case, my sister was the only one who did know I had a sibling." And here, he finished, allowing what he said to sink into Yusuke's brain and connect to things he already knew.

Memories flashed through Yusuke's mind. The countless times he had seen Kurama fight using plants as weapons. The times he had seen Kurama as a fox, but the image of his long, silver hair is what stood out there. The first mission Koenma sent him on, to catch three _thieves_ who had broken into the Reikai treasure vault. The first time he had a real conversation with Kurama, the one that revealed his demonic parentage and nature.

Then everything clicked. Yusuke suddenly realized that he _did_ know a demonic thief. "Holy crap!" he shouted, standing up so quickly the chair he was sitting in fell over. He then tripped over it in his haste to get away from this unbelievable realization.

Kurama turned to look at Yusuke, who was now sprawled across the floor. He then whispered very softly, "Yes. You see it now. The plants. The hair. The thievery. The notoriety. Very similar. Too similar, in fact. Yes. The girl Hiei once loved, still loves if his keeping these letters and fear of caring for anyone else is any indication, Moriko." His eyes softened when he said the name. He said it again, "Moriko. My little sister."


	9. Letter 8

_June 21, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_I have found a way to amuse myself whilst you travel to the ends of every realm searching for your sister Yukina. And, in it, a use for the ningens in this wretched realm._

_Here is what I do: I call all the cats that are within the boundaries I can reach and lead them wherever I feel like going. I then make the plants grow at an explosive rate around the place I am 'attacking.' I knock on a door, step back, and when someone opens it, they find plants growing so fast they seem to dance, and cats mewling and howling all over the place. And me, standing there laughing like a maniac._

_Other than that, I have found that humans fascinate me. They try so very hard to make something of the pathetic fifty years they have here, even knowing a demon—such as you or myself—could come end it prematurely in less than a second. I love the fear it breeds. Ha ha._

_Of course, it breeds a different kind of fear in me. I fear that I am developing my brother's homicidal tendencies. I cannot stand the thought of being more like my brother than I already am. The very idea kills me inside. I have never met a crueler individual than he. And I never thought I might be like him that way, too. Especially since I have the ability to truly love someone. He could never accomplish that. Not in a million years. Never, if he lives for all eternity. And I hate him for it. I want to kill him for it._

_I think it would be fun to introduce you to my brother. See what he would do. Probably kill us both, but whatever. At least we would be together at the end._

_I love you so much._

_Your fratricidal forest child,  
Moriko_

Yusuke still lay sprawled across the floor from the shock he had received. Therefore Kurama read the letter aloud, knowing it was necessary to get through them as quickly as was possible.

He rolled his eyes at the petty things Moriko did to amuse herself. Then he reached the fourth paragraph. "_Of course, it breeds a different kind of fear in me. I fear that I am developing my brother's homicidal tendencies. I cannot stand the thought of being more like my brother than I already am. The very idea kills me inside._" Kurama's voice cracked and he could no longer continue.

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

"No. No. She hates me. She hates me that much. No." He was moaning. A few tears dripped down his cheeks. Yusuke got up and shook his shoulders, but to no avail. He seemed completely oblivious to his friend's presence.

"Kurama! Snap out of it! This happened a hundred years ago!" Yusuke finally shouted.

Kurama looked up, seeming surprised at where he was and that Yusuke was with him. He picked up the letter and finished reading it, his voice toneless, completely devoid of any emotion, as if he was imagining that he didn't know the person writing the letter.

"Kurama? You gonna be okay?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes. It's just… I cared about her—not like I love Shiori—but she never understood that. And she hated me. She wanted me dead. And she wanted to make me that way herself. I suppose I can understand why. I probably deserved it. But I'll never forgive myself for allowing her to hate me like she did. Like she probably still does."

"She's still alive?" Yusuke asked. He had been under the impression that she had died.

"As far as I know. She was still alive sixteen years ago. How many letters are there left? Two?"

"Uhhh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"Because it was on the last day of July in 1895 that I unknowingly and unintentionally ruined Hiei's life."

dun dun dun... yay! only two letters left! But that won't be the end of the story... just the end of the snooping part. Anyway, i should probably get on w/ the reason for this author's note... the DISCLAIMER!!!!

I only own Moriko. Everyone else belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi.


	10. Letter 9

Apologies for the length of time since I last updated. My computer decided it was going to not like the new format on this website and, until today, would not let me update. Thanks for your cooperation.

Also, apologies for the lack of a disclaimer for the last few chapters. I only own Moriko. Well, suppose I own Ikano in this chapter... but I highly doubt he will ever be important.

Please read and review!

I will try to post another chapter (the last letter) today or tomorrow; no promises though.

* * *

_July 30, 1895; Human Realm_

_Dearest Hiei,_

_Ack! Hmm… interesting word choice on my part, would you agree? But still—ack! I just received a telegram from my brother—why does he even know how to send a telegram? It is a human habit!—and he arrives tomorrow._

_He says there had better not be anyone here, no matter what my plans had been. Everything is doubly secret and confidential. But he will never know if I write it to you. He is bringing his new partner home with him. He gets a new one every few months; this one will be dead before long, I have no doubts about that. My brother works with them long enough to gain their trust, then stabs them in the back—literally—and takes all the treasure they accumulated together for himself._

_He did not offer a name, nor shall he. I, on the other hand, shall remain here. Keep me in your thoughts, for if I do or say one thing wrong I could be murdered on the spot. By my brother or his friend, who is to say?_

_I just cannot believe how much he seems to believe he is more important than I am. I hate it. I hate him. I hate this realm. I hate my life. I hate his friend, whom I have never even met. I love you._

_Your distraught forest child,  
__Moriko_

This time Yusuke read the letter. He knew it would take longer, but he would rather use up a little extra time than risk having Kurama break down and cry like that again.

"_Why does he even know how to send a telegram?_ Why indeed, Kurama?"

"No reason."

Yusuke continued reading, pausing every so often to glance at his friend. Kurama's face remained impassive until the very end of the letter. Yusuke spoke her words, "_I hate it. I hate him. I hate this realm. I hate my life. I hate his friend, whom I have never even met. I love you._"

At this, Kurama laughed bitterly, saying, "That's the ultimate irony right there. Moriko saying she hated Ikano, and that she loved Hiei. I always knew she was fickle, but this is beyond how fickle Romeo was."

"Romeo? Who's that?"

"From Romeo and Juliet?" Kurama prompted. Then, when Yusuke's face remained blank, he said, "Never mind. All I meant was that she is completely in love with one guy one day, and in love with another the next."

"You mean…" Yusuke trailed off, lost in the implications of Kurama's statement, desperately hoping he had misinterpreted what Kurama had said, or misheard him, or _something_. Eventually, however, he finished his statement, "You mean she didn't die, but left Hiei for another guy?"

Kurama's voice was pained when he replied, "Not only that. But the guy she left him for was the demon thief brought home by her older brother, whom she hated."


	11. Letter 10

Sorry it's so short; I only own Moriko. Hope you like the ending (not of the whole story though, even if this is the final letter)

_

* * *

_

August 3, 1895; Human Realm

_Hiei,_

_I would like to tell you that I have not yet received the reply you probably sent to me in response to the letter I wrote on July 30. In fact, since it has only been four days, you probably have not even received it as I write this letter._

_However, all that is beside the point. I write to tell you of a matter of the utmost importance. It is about my brother's partner, whose name I shall not reveal in order to maintain his safety. He has decided he will no longer work with my brother._

_It is very hard to write this, but I must. He will be staying with me, Hiei. I love him. I am so very sorry. I understand your feelings for me, but I can no longer honestly return them. So, farewell, Hiei, and may your life bring you happiness._

_Your apologetic forest child,_

_Moriko_

Each of the two friends read the letter silence. When they reached the end, the world stopped. They both pained for the loss Hiei received a hundred years previously. Yusuke because he finally understood Hiei a little bit better; Kurama, because it was indirectly his fault.

Finally Kurama said, "And she said I was cruel. She tells him she loves him, addressing the letter _dearest Hiei_. Then four days later, addresses the letter _Hiei_, and tells him she loves another man."

Yusuke was quiet for a moment. "…So this is the reason Hiei always seems so distant, so cold… so hateful. He's afraid. Afraid of being hurt like that again."

"Yes. It's disturbing, isn't it? Days ago I wouldn't have been able to comprehend the idea… but now it seems so obvious. I keep asking myself, 'How did I miss this?' And I think the answer is that I wanted to miss it, and I saw what I wanted to see."

"I have… you'd probably use a word like _preposition_ but I don't even know what that means, so I'll say _idea_. I have an idea."

"Yusuke, the word you meant was _proposition_."

"Whatever. Anyway, you said Moriko is still alive, right?"

Uneasy and unsure if he should even answer, Kurama replied, "As far as I know, she is."

Kurama's eyes widened in shock at Yusuke's next statement: "Then let's go see her."


	12. Moriko: Part 1

Hey, I'm back with another chapter. By the request of a reviewer, I have begun a description of Moriko, because she actually enters in this chapter! Yay! BTW, this chapter is dedicated to anyone who has reviewed so far; you guys know who you are, and thanks so much!

ForbiddenChildLover64

* * *

For a few minutes, Kurama just stared at Yusuke, his stunned silence saying everything there wasn't words for. "Th-that's not… We can't… I don't…" Kurama finally stuttered. He then took a deep breath and said, "We can't do that. First of all, I don't even know where she is. Second, by now she could probably kill us both because I don't have full control of my demonic powers and, no matter how powerful you may be, you're still only human. So unless you can solve all these problems, we're not going to go."

"Is that all? I was sure you'd have about a million more reasons why we shouldn't go, but this is much easier. You can use the Seeds of Incarnation to bring in your full level of power. I'd imagine Koenma and Botan could help us find her. And I _am_ strong enough to hold my own against most demons, in spite of my humanity. Besides, if I die, it will be my fault, because you never would have known Hiei loved your sister if not for me, not to mention the fact that I was the one who convinced you to visit the demon plane in the first place. Besides, if you don't come, I'm going alone." Yusuke shot back, a lot quicker than Kurama had expected.

Unable to come up with any other valid arguments, Kurama acquiesced. "Fine. We'll go see her. But I need to know why, before we go."

"I want to trick her into coming here and meeting Hiei. But I don't want her to know that it's Hiei she's meeting. Maybe they can work things out between them and Hiei might be a bit happier."

"It might make him worse, you know that, right?"

"…Yes, I had thought of that. But I honestly don't think he _can_ get any worse. The only way for that to happen would be if something happened to Yukina. Or Yukina found out their biological relationship and reacted how Hiei seems to think she will. But, at the very least, he won't know we knew they knew each other. So he probably won't be mad enough to kill us or cause any lasting damage."

"The key word in that last sentence is _probably_."

Yusuke waved that away, saying, "Besides, I have a good feeling about this."

Not sure if that was a good sign or not, Kurama said, "Why do you want to help Hiei, anyway?"

"He's helped me before."

When Yusuke didn't elaborate on his vague answer, Kurama said, "Well, then. I suppose we ought to contact Koenma and Botan."

* * *

Before they contacted Koenma, Kurama slid the box under Hiei's bed, and Yusuke placed some talismans in strategic locations throughout the Minamino household, where it would have been possible to miss seeing them. They hoped that these would convince Hiei that the box had just fallen somehow, and that the reason for his Jagan not seeing where it was, was the talismans that Kurama could have placed for any number of reasons.

Next they found Koenma, who was easily able to tell them Moriko's current location. To their surprise, she was still living in the Human Realm. She was, however, living in an abandoned building, typical for demons trapped or merely living in this realm.

"Well, Kurama? The juice?" Yusuke asked, once they were standing outside Moriko's home.

"Here goes. Cheers." And he took a sip. Two minutes later, the fox demon emerged, along with all his power and a killer aura, which any human with the slightest sixth sense in the world could detect from a mile away. Approximately three and a half seconds later, they watched a girl with long, dark hair and slit eyes blast her way out from one of the windows near the top floor. She landed neatly in front of them, hissing. Then Kurama, in a tone more condescending than any Yusuke had ever heard him use, said, "Moriko. How disappointing. I thought I raised you with more refinement than that. Is that how you greet all your visitors?"

She stared at him for a moment through narrowed, bright gold eyes before gracefully sliding from the crouch she was in, to a standing position. Yusuke noticed that the clothes she wore were all dark colored, perfect for sneaking around at night without being noticed. They were also slightly too large for her. This, however, didn't hide the fact that she was obviously good-looking. But it did allow her the option of any number of hidden weapons, which she could keep on her at all times. After a few seconds of silence, she addressed Kurama tersely, "Brother."

"Ahhh, Moriko. You haven't changed much since the last time we spoke. But aren't you going to invite your brother and his friend into your humble home?"

"I have not intention of doing so. This is where Ikano and I live. Alone. You are not welcome here. My suggestion: leave. You should know, it is not… prudent to encroach on a cat's territory."

Kurama studied her for a moment, in a way Yusuke recognized. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the girl who was standing in front of him. But he appeared to take it in stride, because after approximately half a second, he said, "I take back what said a few moments ago; you have, in fact, changed quite a bit. You are much more bold than you were sixteen years ago."

"Speaking of sixteen years ago," Moriko began, the golden eyes narrowing again. "You are supposed to be dead," she accused.

"According to whom?"

"…Everyone."

"Which side of this argument has more proof? The side with which everyone agrees; of course they would agree with that. Both humans and demons fail miserably in this aspect: they feel that if they wish or believe something hard enough it will be true. Or the side with which I stand: that Yoko Kurama is still very much alive. I'm thinking that my side has more weight because of one simple fact: I can prove it. Are you still intent on denying me entry?"

"Yes." The words came out in a hiss. "And what is with this tag along human? Have you stooped that low, to manipulate those weaklings?"

"No. In fact, this expedition was his idea."

"And you went along with it? There is a great joke."

"Yes, I did go along with it; if successful it could perhaps benefit one of my closest friends. If you don't allow me to pass by choice, if will need to force you."

"You actually have friends? Perhaps I am not the only one who has changed in the last sixteen years."

"Perhaps."

"Well, if you are going to come in anyway, enter now."

And they quietly stepped into the empty warehouse, into a sparsely furnished lobby, that, in fact, was not empty.


	13. Moriko: Part 2

This was supposed to be your Thanksgiving Day update, so Happy Thanksgiving a day late! I own Moriko and Ikano (although he is really nothing more than a place holder), and four other nameless characters in this chapter (that is, they have names but their names aren't mentioned yet). All others belong Yoshihiro Togashi.

* * *

In the lobby was a group of four demons. They were all rather young, in terms of the length of time demons could live, about one hundred years old. And they were all basically identical. Kurama didn't know why he found it so amusing, but Moriko had a _litter_ of kittens. Obviously, Moriko had been lying when she told Kurama she and Ikano lived there alone. On top of that, one sniff of the air told Kurama that Ikano had never visited the warehouse. It also made him aware of another scent. One that he was fairly sure he knew the reason for, but kept to himself; it would be better if Yusuke didn't know.

Moriko shooed the younger demons away, them hissing with displeasure at having to leave, and her glaring at Kurama all the while. Once they had all run up the stairs, she turned to her unwelcome guests. "It would be best if you would hurry with your business. They have a tendency to eavesdrop. They are all also aspiring thieves. I guess it runs in the family." Her tone became bitter, "And, as thieves, they have the tendency to…idolize the fox demon who is supposedly the best thief in history, who is now standing in their living room, having a completely civilized conversation with their mother. Oh yeah, I forgot. That thief is also their fricking uncle." All Yusuke could think was that he was glad this wasn't _his_ sister. But Kurama didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the conversation he was having with his little sister.

"Ahhh. I see. You don't want them to ever find out that their idol is the cruel older brother of their mother, and that she in fact hates his guts."

"Indeed."

"How old are they? I'm just curious."

"Almost one hundred and thirteen."

"Hmmm… that's what I thought. When did Ikano leave you?"

"He did not leave me."

"Then you left him?"

"No."

"Then what happened?"

"He still lives here with us."

Taking another drink from the flask, Kurama replied, "No he doesn't. He hasn't been to this place once."

"Fine. He left me about a month after we realized I was pregnant."

"How did you hide it all from me the three times I visited you after they were born?"

"I raised them in a different place. You were too arrogant to realize that you had been outsmarted, and you did not register that I had the scent of others on me. And you did not realize that I had not seen Ikano since shortly after you last saw him."

"Hmmm… that's genius. You are smarter than I ever gave you credit for, Little Sister."

"I do not know if that is a compliment or not. But let's move on. What is the reason you came to this place to begin with?"

"I thought it was about time I dropped by. I have been… occupied these last sixteen years in a way that did not allow me to check up on you."

The eyes narrowed yet again. "You lie. You already mentioned that this had something to do with a close friend of yours. Who is he?"

"Alas, you have struck upon the one of the few things I cannot tell you. He, like me, is famous among demons. Therefore, unless you choose to come back with us, I shan't reveal his name. We wish our partnership to remain… concealed from those who would… try and stop it."

"I see."

And so Yusuke watched as the two siblings went on like this, Moriko asking questions, Kurama revealing only enough to stymie his sister's interest. After ten minutes, Kurama took yet another sip from his flask.

"What's that?" Moriko asked, suddenly.

"Nothing. It helps my aura, is all."

"Not like you need it," Moriko muttered, before resuming her inquiries in regard to Hiei, although she was unaware that it was Hiei they were speaking of. They continued this for several more minutes, until Moriko finally agreed to come back with them, on the condition that she could bring her children with her. She was definitely playing the part of overprotective, mother cat to perfection. And throughout their entire conversation, Kurama was wondering whether or not he should ask her about the strange scent he had smelled when he first walked in, which had faded when the children ran out. The scent of smoke. The mark of a demon who had fire in their blood. The same scent that always followed Hiei.


	14. Moriko: Part 3

I only own Moriko and her kids, no one else. Thnx. R&R

* * *

Within the first ten minutes of the journey, Kurama and Yusuke found that the younger demons were not staying with their mother by choice. She was more powerful than any of them, or even all of them combined. When asked about it, Moriko replied easily, "Brother, you should know that the children of two moderately powerful demons can be either very powerful, very weak, or moderately powerful, like their parents. The two who already left were more powerful than I, but they were killed in spite of that. I did not let my remaining children, the weak ones, leave for that reason." She said it matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Randomly, Kurama decided to change back into Shuichi. In an effort to conserve the juice, he was pretending that the redheaded figure and low aura level was just his chosen disguise. In explanation to Moriko he said, "People might recognize me in my true form; the aura would give us away in an instant whether I was in my original form or not." Moriko looked momentarily suspicious, then let it go and did not notice when Kurama's last drink of the juice ran out twenty-five seconds later.

Without warning, Yusuke asked, "What kind of demon was Ikano?"

Without hesitation, Kurama replied, not thinking about the effects telling the truth might have. "Water. When we were working together it was particularly complicated; plants naturally respond to and grow with my touch. His water encouraged them. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Yusuke answered, although he frowned and his brow furrowed in concentration, as if he felt something didn't add up properly. As Kurama turned away, he saw Yusuke sniff the air, as if to verify that it did indeed have scent to it. Then he placed it. "Smoke." He declared. That's when Kurama knew he had made a mistake in telling Yusuke what kind of demon Ikano was, a mistake that could ruin Kurama's plan to keep Yusuke in the dark about Moriko's children.

Moriko just looked at Yusuke for a second, as if to say, 'Hmmm…he is smarter than I thought.' She then looked at her children and said aloud, "Yes. I see where you are going. If Ikano was a water demon, then how can these children smell of smoke? The answer is very simple; they are not Ikano's children." She turned to Kurama, "Why you did not immediately ask about that, I will never understand."

Yusuke thought for a moment, then looked questioningly at Kurama, who instantaneously faked confusion, in a last half-hearted and futile attempt to protect the information he had deduced. When Moriko's back was turned, Yusuke immediately pointed to her children then stuck a hand out, open, in front of him, as if to release the full force of the Black Dragon, which Kurama immediately understood to mean _Hiei_.

Realizing that attempting to hide what he knew from Yusuke was now pointless, he nodded.

Yusuke tried to be subtle covering up his shock. But _Yusuke_ and _subtle_ are two words that should never be used in the same sentence.

Moriko took one look at Yusuke's face and said, "I have to give it to you, Brother. You still choose the _strangest_ people to work with."

Kurama just shrugged.

It had taken Kurama and Yusuke a full day to travel to Moriko's warehouse. The journey back was longer; Moriko's children were making nearly constant bids for freedom—from their mother. However, all of these attempts were unsuccessful in everything but slowing the group down.

That night, just before they went to sleep, Kurama finally asked the obvious question, "What are your children's names?"

Pointing at each, Moriko replied, "Haruto, Isamu, Eiji, and Isao. The two who ran away were female, Amaya and Izumi."

And, for what was the first and is probably the last time, Yusuke noticed and deduced something that Kurama did not. And whether his plan to make Hiei a bit happier succeeded or failed could hinge totally on that one factor. And it was there, hidden in what she had named her children.

* * *

As to what Yusuke has figured out, look closely at the names of Moriko's four remaining children (all of whom are male, BTW), and see if you notice anything. Then look closely at the names of her other two children, and you might find something (depending on how much Japanese you know; I don't really know any at all, but my friend gave me the idea for the Japanese part). :)

Thnx, please review!

ForbiddenChildLover64


	15. Moriko: Part 4

I only own Moriko, Haruto, Isamu, Eiji, and Isao. All other characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. BTW, I honestly don't think Moriko's children are anything more than placeholders, but I listed them as characters I own anyway, because that might change.

If you did not figure out what I meant by the author's note at the end of the chapter, here it is, because it is somewhat crucial to understanding this chapter: Moriko's male children's names **H**aruto, **I**samu, **E**iji, and **I**sao. Her female children: **A**maya and **I**zumi. Now look at the bolded letters. The first letters of the male children's names spell _Hiei_ and the first letters of the females spell _ai_ (Japanese for _love_). Make of it what you will. :)

* * *

When the group commenced its journey the next day, Moriko's children were behaving much better. Moriko glared at Kurama. In explanation to Yusuke, Kurama said, "I put herbs in their mouths last night. The herbs will make them… complacent for at least twelve hours."

"And she thinks that that is a bad thing?"

"Not really. More that I didn't ask her permission, but she isn't really surprised by that either."

"Ah, I see."

"Little Sister, come. I must tell you something." Kurama commanded. Sighing, she followed his instructions, and he continued, "We shall be going to my house. I live there with a human woman who is convinced I am her son. This coupled with my appearance and this aura has confused many of my enemies into thinking I am dead. She cannot know I'm a demon, however. Understand?"

Moriko nodded, before saying, "A human woman. Only you would stoop that low without feeling shame, Brother."

And with that, everyone lapsed into silence as they approached the place where Kurama lived with Shiori Minamino. Unlocking the door and walking in, Kurama called out, "Mom. I'm home."

"Okay." She called; she had recently become accustomed to her son disappearing for days—or weeks—at a time without telling her where he was going. She had grown to accept that he would leave but he always came back eventually.

Then Kurama said, "Yusuke is here, too. And a couple other people."

At this, Shiori rushed to where they were standing. "Oh my." She said upon catching sight of Moriko and her four children, standing there with cat ears and tails. Then she looked at Moriko and said, "You didn't say anything about having a girl come over. Especially one who wears those fake ears. Although, she is very pretty."

"Mom. She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend. We haven't seen each other in years."

As Kurama claimed that Moriko was 'just a friend,' the cat demon in question muttered under her breath, "And we are not really even that." Shiori, however, didn't hear her, and continued her line of questioning.

"How long have you two known each other, then?"

This time it was Moriko who answered, in a completely serious voice, "Too long."

At this, Shiori backed off, somewhat shaken and surprised by the girl's honest answer. Finally, she said, "And are these her friends? Or brothers?" and she gestured to the other four.

At the same time Kurama answered, "Brothers." Moriko answered, "Children."

"Children?"

"No. Moriko was just kidding, Mom." Kurama said quickly, glaring threateningly at his sister. "We're going to go upstairs now."

"Oh. Okay."

They sat around in Kurama's room, talking for an hour or so. Moriko's children slept. Moriko herself continued trying to weasel out the name of Kurama's friend.

"Just tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I can't."

"How come?"

Now Kurama switched things around on her. "It doesn't matter why I won't. If Ikano wasn't their father, then who is?"

"An old boyfriend. It does not really matter. I have not seen him in years. You would not know him anyway. He was way below your station."

And that's when Hiei walked in.

* * *

Haha! How'd you like the ending? Well, please review.

ForbiddenChildLover64


	16. Moriko: Part 5

Only own Moriko and her children. :) R&R. Oh, BTW, there is a small section in here creating a reason why the bounty hunter was able to injure Kurama; I only read the manga and if a different reason was included somewhere in the series, in a part I haven't gotten to yet, I apologize ahead of time.

* * *

Although Hiei didn't betray even a single hint of his shock, Kurama, Yusuke, and Moriko all knew him well enough that they could sense his surprise. And the only reason he was surprised was that, because of Yusuke's talismans, he couldn't feel any energy—demonic or otherwise—emanating from within the group that now sat in Kurama's room. He took one look at Moriko, spun around on his heel, and walked out. They all heard the front door being slammed shut.

Moriko wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as Hiei was. Her jaw dropped open. Yusuke pretended to recover from Hiei's sudden appearance and disappearance first, saying, "What in the world made him leave like that?"

Kurama just shrugged, acting as if he didn't know.

At this point, Moriko was still incapable of speech. Her eyes were wide and she continually extended and retracted her claws, in a fashion that seemed to be her way of relieving stress. Finally, she shut her mouth. A few moments later, she opened it again, this time to speak, "H-h-h- W-w-why did h-he leave?" Her stuttering was so bad, however, that neither Kurama nor Yusuke could understand what she was saying. She closed her eyes, and breathed; in, out, in, out, in, out. Then she spoke, much more calmly this time, "Was that your friend?"

Kurama nodded, "His name is Hiei."

"I-I-I know."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Long story."

"We have time." Kurama pointed out.

Moriko's temper flared up in order to defend herself in her emotionally broken state, "In case you have not figured this one out, Brother, when someone says 'long story' it generally means it is a story that they do not want to tell."

"Okay, okay." Kurama backed off.

By now it was late, so Kurama made up beds for his sister and his nephews. Shiori didn't pay much attention; her son was always people like this.

Moriko's children fell asleep fairly quickly, probably due to some plant of Kurama's.

Moriko herself, however, stayed wide awake staring at a blank wall, unbelieving that something—someone—so significant from her past could wind its way back into her present.

* * *

Meanwhile in Kurama's room, Kurama and Yusuke sat talking. "I just don't understand," Kurama said, exasperated. "I mean, I know why Hiei reacted the way he did, but I just cannot make sense of Moriko's response."

Somehow, what Yusuke had figured out had still manage to evade Kurama's mental grasp, so Yusuke said, "Haruto, Isamu, Eiji, Isao, Amaya, Izuki."

"Her children?"

"Look at the first letters of the guys' names, then the girls'."

After a moment, "Hiei. Ai. Hiei. Ai. Hiei." Kurama lowered his head into hands, "How could I have missed it?"

* * *

They walked down the stairs to see if Moriko was still awake. She was. "Moriko." Kurama said quietly. She looked up; she hadn't heard them approach.

"You have never called me that before."

"You mean your name?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, you have, but never like that. Normally, I am just 'Little Sister' or, when you decide that you want to be particularly condescending, my actual name in a rather cruel voice. You have never once said my actual name like you actually care."

"I do care. Too much, in fact. This house, Shiori. I don't stay here because I want to; of course, that's not to say I particularly dislike this realm, but I'm trapped in this body. A bounty hunter gravely wounded me, so I escaped here. Kind Enma had found out that I did, in fact, have a hidden weakness, an Achilles' heel, if you will. And they threatened to kill her if I didn't give myself up. So I did, to protect you." He was avoiding Moriko's eyes, embarrassed to be revealing such a great weakness to another demon, even if that demon _was_ his weakness.

"Oh." Was all she said.

"Are you okay, though? You seemed pretty… broken when Yusuke and I went upstairs." Kurama had completely regained his composure in the few seconds between his confession and his question.

"I am fine."

"I have a question about your old boyfriend, the father of your children. Do you still love him?"

"I told you I would not let my boys leave because I did not want them to die. That is a lie. I mean, I do not _want_ them to die, but I would be okay with letting them leave, except…" by now she looked near tears.

"Except?" Kurama prompted gently.

"Except for what I did not tell you before. What I did not tell you was that I cannot let them leave. My children are my last and only remaining link to the one I will love until the day I die. The one that I _left_, years ago." And with that she burst into tears at long last, for the first time since she had realized what a mistake she made in leaving Hiei. Kurama instinctually leaned over to hug her as he would have had it been Shiori crying, and, as much to her surprise as Kurama's and Yusuke's, Moriko accepted the embrace, curling up next to her older brother and crying into his shoulder until her eyes were dry and she fell asleep.

Hiei had yet to return.


	17. Moriko: Part 6

I only own Moriko and her currently drugged-up children (Haha, nice work, Kurama). Oh, and just so you guys know, there is another cliff-hanger at the end because I like cliff-hangers (reading and writing them!, I'm weird like that) Thnx. R&R.

* * *

When Yusuke, Kurama, and Moriko woke up the next morning, the girl was still curled up beside her brother, like the cat she was. She stood up and stretched, yawning. When Kurama stood up, he looked worried. "Hiei hasn't come back yet."

Yusuke seemed unconcerned. "He'll be back eventually."

"But when?"

Yusuke opened his mouth to answer, but instead they all heard, "KURAMA!!!" from outside on the front lawn.

Yusuke chuckled, "There's your answer, Kurama. Although, he sounds pretty angry—I wouldn't particularly want to talk to him right now."

"Let's hope he's mad because of the plants I set to entangle him should he try to sneak back here without my knowing it." Kurama muttered.

* * *

And that was indeed what had happened. Several vines had wrapped themselves around Hiei's legs and arms, the ones around his arms rendering it impossible to reach around, grab his katana, and kill them. He was glaring daggers at Kurama. Then, because Moriko and Yusuke were still inside, he asked, "Why did you bring her here?"

"The girl, you mean? It's just that she is so cynical and everything, I thought you two might get along great. I haven't seen her in years." He added the last part as an afterthought.

"You mean you already knew her?" Hiei's anger was barely under control. The air in front of him was starting to shimmer.

"Of course. I've known her for her entire life."

"Then why didn't you ever mention her?"

"It never came up. Besides, why would I? I didn't really want anyone to know about the weakness that was my sister. And why are you so interested in it, anyway?" Kurama said it almost casually, only with just enough emphasis on the word _sister_ to imply that he didn't really want to tell Hiei how he knew Moriko.

"I'm interested because—wait. What did you say? Did you say she is your fricking _sister_?! How the hell could you not tell me you had a sister? Especially when it's Moriko! Why, Kurama? Why? Everything wrong with my life is your fault. Your fault. And I thought you were the only real friend I had." He ended with that, but when he turned to leave he fell on his face due to the vines still wrapped around his ankles.

He rolled over, and looked up at Kurama. "Release me." He commanded tersely.

"Not until you listen to me. And answer some of my questions. I brought her back because I thought you two might get along. Obviously not. How was I to know that you two had already met? I love the girl like nothing else, but we never really talked. I didn't allow her to tell me the names of people she hung out with, in case they were an enemy of mine. I didn't want to hurt her. But how do you know each other?"

"That isn't any of your business."

"Well, then I guess you are just stuck where you are."

"Fine. We were friends. Long ago, back when it was the late eighteen hundreds here."

"That's all? What happened?"

"She decided she didn't lov—like me anymore. That she someone else had replaced me in her affections."

"And how is that my fault?"

"Her brother—you—brought the guy hope, it was your business partner."

"Hiei, I am so sorry. I never imagined bringing Ikano home would cause anyone so much pain. I didn't know she loved anyone. Or that that person loved her back. And I especially didn't know that the person I was hurting would one day be my closest friend. Will you at least talk to her? Please. I honestly didn't know. I never meant to hurt you. Or Moriko."

"Why should I? She left me for some bastard who probably left her shortly thereafter."

"Yes… she did. His name was Ikano. And he left when she discovered she was pregnant."

Hiei was quiet for a few moments before saying, "I would have stayed. I mean, if they had been my children, I wouldn't have particularly cared about them, but I know she would have. And I would have stayed for her."

"Then why don't you talk to her? I think it would help. It would help both of you."

Hiei swallowed, as if unsure if he really wanted to talk to Moriko or not. Then, "Fine. One conversation." Kurama then released control of the vines, which fell off Hiei's extremities like shackles that had just been unlocked. He got up and walked slowly through the door of Kurama's house, into the room where Moriko was sitting.

She looked up. Her eyes were red; she had been crying again, and Yusuke had lacked the skills needed to comfort her. Unfortunately, with her hypersensitive hearing, she had heard every word said outside, which only encouraged the extreme guilt she was already feeling because of what she had done to Hiei.

She looked at Hiei for a moment before whispering, "I'm so very sorry, Hiei. Right now, I just want to die. I never meant to hurt anyone. Especially not you. I'm so, so, so sorry." It was said so quietly, nobody except Moriko actually heard what she said. But Hiei and the other two read her lips.

The fiery rage and intense pain in Hiei's eyes softened slightly, almost imperceptiby. Then he opened his mouth to speak.


	18. Moriko: Part 7

Ha ha. I only own Moriko and her children. Here's the next chapter. R&R. And can you believe it? Two updates in 3 days (at least, I think it was 3...) and on finals week, too (yes, I know I'm an idiot who should probably be studying, but this is much more fun :). ) Oh, there is a slight cliffhanger at the end, just so you guys know (my love of cliffhangers is starting to show itself, if it wasn't at the beginning of the story) so sorry right now if you don't like cliffhangers.

* * *

When Hiei spoke, it was quietly, as if he wasn't sure if he could speak any louder and still manage to control his emotions. "If you didn't want to hurt me, why did you leave me?" he asked in a whisper.

"Because… Hiei, to understand my motives, you have to realize how lonely I was. My brother only visited for one or two weeks every four months. You were almost constantly looking for your sister. For most of the year, I had no one. Humans are always naturally edgy around me, even if it is a human without a sixth sense to warn them of my demonic nature. So I could not even socialize with them, just to get away from the aloneness. Then Ikano came. My brother respected and trusted him enough to introduce us. So I knew for sure he was strong enough to protect me to my brother's satisfaction if we were to go to Makai. And, if my brother was happy with how strong Ikano was, then I would not have to be left alone. I was lonely, Hiei, too lonely." Moriko answered.

"I-I never realized how much you needed me around. If I had, I would have stayed with you more. Or figured out a way to get you out of your brother's reach." Hiei dropped his eyes to the floor, ashamed, realizing for the first time that he was partially responsible for what Moriko had done to him. "But you act like loneliness was your only motive."

"It was my only motive. I still loved you, Hiei, but you were not around enough to keep it at bay."

"But… if you still loved me, why did you tell me you didn't, in that last letter?"

"You loved me." She said simply. "It hurt so much to write that letter… because I knew it would hurt you. But I figured it might be easier for you to let me go if you thought I did not. Obviously, I was wrong."

When Hiei didn't say anything, she continued, "I can tell you have changed, Hiei. Your eyes and face are more guarded. I remember when they would tell me whatever you were thinking. I remember that you would laugh occasionally, and smile fairly often. I treasured those, and now I fear that I have driven them out of existence forever. I can tell, Hiei. By your face and eyes, by the katana that looks as if it never leaves you side, by your posture and the way you hold yourself, I can tell. You have built a wall around your heart, keeping others out and your emotions in. And I know that it is all my fault." And for the third time in less than twenty-four hours, Moriko began to cry over something that she had not cried about in the previous hundred years.

Yusuke began to reach out to comfort her, but Kurama grabbed his arm in order to stop him. He shook his head and inclined it slightly towards Hiei, as if to say, 'Look.'

Hiei was standing there, with one arm halfway raised, outstretched towards Moriko like he wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to do so at the same time. After a few seconds, he started walking towards her, slowly, as if he had forgotten Yusuke and Kurama were in the room. When he reached her, he put his arms around her shoulders and rocked her back and forth, muttering soothingly all the while.

Yusuke and Kurama were shocked; this was a side of Hiei they had never seen before.

After a few moments, Moriko's sobs subsided. She inclined her head to look up at the demon that was holding her, who, despite his short stature, was still a couple inches taller than she was. And that's when hell froze over. Hiei smiled. Not the smug or malicious grin that everyone was accustomed to, but a smile of true happiness. It was small, and almost shy, but it was a smile nevertheless.

Then he stepped back to look at her. "I still love you, I want you to know that," he said quietly.

"I know," she replied just as quietly. "And I love you, too."

"I just have one question. If you love me, why do you drag some random demon's children around with you?"

For a moment, everyone was confused. Then Kurama understood what Hiei meant. Hiei didn't know Ikano wasn't a fire demon, so he had automatically assumed…

"Uh, Hiei," Kurama whispered in the flame demon's ear, "Ikano was a water demon…"

"Water? But these children are fire demons… Wait… Do you mean…?" Hiei's eyes bulged with what he thought Kurama meant.

Kurama nodded.


	19. Moriko: Part 8

Sorry I haven't updated in so long… I had lots going on… Christmas, New Year's, going back to school, to name a few… not to mention the fact that Basketball has taken over my life. I know, I know, 'excuses, excuses.' So for all of you who know that those were just excuses and not the real reason for updating… the real reason for updating none of my stories is… writer's block. Like, the worst case of writer's block I have had in my life. So, sorry. But I finally got a bit of motivation for this story in my Computer class the third day back at school from Christmas Break. So would you please read and review?

* * *

Hiei looked at Kurama, then at Moriko, then back at Kurama again. The look on his face was one of complete and utter shock and disbelief. After several minutes of this, he turned his eyes upon Moriko and said, "You kept them close merely because they were my children, for no other reason?"

"Yes. My love for you never once wavered, Hiei. Sometimes I wished it would, that I might not hurt so much because of my hurting you. But it was never more than a wish; my heart never acted on it."

When Hiei didn't say anything for several minutes, she continued, "Everyday I regretted doing what I did. Every single day. And, just so you know, if you decide you want to leave me, because you fear being hurt by me again, I would not blame you. But it will have to be you who leaves, because I will never make that mistake again. I would kill myself before I left you again."

When Hiei still refused to respond, she said, awkwardly, "Well, I guess I'll go now…" And she turned to leave, to go outside.

"I kept your letters."

Moriko turned around. "What?"

"I kept your letters. The letters you wrote to me, years ago. I still have them. Or I did until these two took them." Hiei jerked his head toward Kurama and Yusuke. Kurama snorted, not the least bit surprised that Hiei had worked out that the entire thing had been set up based on the letters that had been in his room.

"You did?"

"Yes. Probably because I am a masochist. I read those letters repeatedly; they brought comfort with the pain. It helped to remember what we once had… but I always knew what was coming and it hurt more than you can imagine… but I read them anyways… _I miss you more than I have ever missed anyone. So just come to me as soon as you can. When are you coming back? I love you too! I miss you more than I can say, and love you dearly. I love you. More than I probably should. Love you so much. I would love to keep writing, but I really need to sleep. Good luck finding Yukina. I think it would be fun to introduce you to my brother. See what he would do. Probably kill us both, but whatever. At least we would be together at the end. I hate it. I hate him. I hate this realm. I hate my life. I hate his friend, whom I have never even met. I love you._" Here Hiei paused in his quoting for a moment before saying in a whisper, "_It is very hard to write this, but I must. He will be staying with me, Hiei. I love him. I am so very sorry. I understand your feelings for me, but I can no longer honestly return them. So, farewell, Hiei, and may your life bring you happiness._"

"Are you _quoting_ the letters I wrote to you?"

Hiei grinned slightly, "Perhaps. I've read those so many times. I could recite them all word for word if you wanted me too. But I have just one question… why did you think that I would want to leave you?"

"You were always… naturally inclined to self-preservation; I mean, we all are, but you more so than most. If you felt threatened or somebody hurt you once, they did not get a second chance. It was over; either you killed them or they never saw you again. And I felt certain that I was doomed to the latter."

"I see…"

"That is why I never tried to find you, Hiei. I knew your were skillful when it came to hiding your aura, and the like. If you had really wanted to hide, you would not have been found. It would have been like you disappeared off the face of the earth. Which would have very well been true, as you could have been in another realm altogether, but you get my point. The only way I would be able to see you again and tell you how sorry I was, was if you came back to me."

"I almost did, several times. But then I thought I might see the demon you left me for. And if I did that, I would surely kill him. And killing the one I thought you loved would make me hurt you. And I loved you so much, your pain would have been my pain as well."

After saying these words, Hiei fell silent again, staring at the floor with an intensity that surprised Yusuke and Kurama. Then, suddenly, the tattoos on his arm began to glow, brighter and brighter as if he was losing his temper and his subconscious desperately wanted to let loose the Black Dragon. Thankfully, however, that isn't what happened. Instead, he turned around so quickly that only Yusuke's eyes could follow his progress, and his fist collided with Kurama's jaw.


	20. Moriko: Part 9

Aha! I be back! Yay for improper grammar! Well, I only own Moriko and her children (where are they anyway? They probably ran away when she wasn't looking… Heck, even I don't know and I'm the one writing this story!). Don't know how to say please in Latin yet (and I'm in Latin II?)

Well, please enjoy (and a review would be nice!)

* * *

In a matter of seconds, Hiei was again chained down to the floor with vines connected to his arms and legs, although this time it wasn't solely Kurama's doing. To everyone's surprise but her own, Moriko had sent her plants at Hiei to join the ones Kurama had used to subdue Hiei.

Having expected this response from Kurama but not from Moriko, Hiei turned to her and glared, snapping, "What'd you do that for?"

"I did not want you to seriously injure him."

"What do you care? You always told me you hated him."

"And that was true," she said earnestly, "until last night. But I did not stop you from hurting him. I stopped you from hurting yourself."

"In what alternate dimension does that make any sense at all?"

"In the dimension in which I love you. Hiei, you have a tendency to act rashly, while my brother has the almost unnatural ability to think things through to all possible endings and consequences in less than a second. He would never injure you grievously because he would realize he would regret doing so later. You, on the other hand, might hurt him before thinking of the consequences. I could hear you two arguing when you were outside. You told him you had thought he was the only true friend you had. If you fatally wounded him, you would regret it for a long time."

"Whatever. Will you let me go now or not?"

"Not until you two figure this out. Why not start by telling my brother why you hit him?"

Hiei groaned; what was with this family and chaining you to the ground unless you worked our your disagreements peacefully? Didn't they know that that was next to impossible for him? That he was totally geared to physical responses, not the emotional conversations they were trying to force him into? Finally he muttered without looking at Kurama or Moriko, "I hit you because you didn't tell me."

"We've been over this, Hiei." Kurama replied, "It just never occurred to me that mentioning my sister to you would drastically change anyone's life. And think for a moment, if our positions had been reversed, would you have told me?"

Hiei was quiet for a moment before giving the answer they all knew he would, the answer he had arrived at immediately, "No."

"If you still have questions in regard to why I didn't tell you, I'm sure Moriko can answer them." Kurama said calmly.

Moriko looked startled; she hadn't expected that. Unsure of what he meant, she looked quizzically at him for a second, before she understood (her mind was almost as quick as his, usually only half a second behind). "Hiei," she said. "I would never tell you my brother's name. He would not let me. Do you think that after he forced his sister to refrain from revealing their relationship, he would then go about revealing it to everyone? Of course not; he would be even more careful than she about avoiding the subject. So careful, in fact, that it would become second nature to not even think about her. And after nearly five hundred years of that, do you honestly think he would even entertain the idea of telling anyone about her? If the subject ever even came up in conversation or even to mind?"

"No. But then why would he tell that one demon?"

"I trusted he was strong enough to protect her, even though she was strong enough that she probably didn't need protecting. And I didn't want her to be alone. So I chose someone I thought she would like, who could protect her, but who I could defeat if it became necessary." Kurama answered.

After a few moments, Kurama turned away, saying, "You can get up if you want." Hiei looked down to find that the vines had silently snaked away from his extremities during the conversation. He got up and dusted himself off. Somehow, Moriko had managed to dissipate his anger. But he was still filled with a passionate emotion, although this one was at the other end of the spectrum.

He grabbed Moriko's arms and pulled her close to him. Then he kissed her. On the lips.

Leaning over, Kurama said to Yusuke, "It would appear that Hell has just frozen over."

"No doubt," Yusuke replied, "Although I have the strangest feeling—and no explanation for it—that everything is about to get much more exciting."


	21. Moriko: Part 10

I only own Moriko and her kids (although they disappeared several chapters back and even I don't know what happened to them). The part about Kurama's earring is merely a reason behind why she wouldn't run away with Hiei (remember, Kurama had the means of finding her no matter where she was). Nothing else is important. Please R&R

* * *

And indeed, things did get more interesting. Someone was at the door, and Kurama answered it, saying in a voice very audible to anyone with hypersensitive hearing (so, everyone but Shiori), "Yukina, what a pleasant surprise."

Moriko looked first surprised, then delighted. "You will not need to leave me anymore!" she whispered to Hiei excitedly. Then, before Hiei had had time to realize what she meant, Moriko rushed over and hugged Yukina. Then she said, "He found you then! I know we have never met but I still feel like I know you. I have heard so much about you; you are all Hiei ever talked about."

After getting over the shock of having a cat demon she'd never met before hug her and address her as an old friend, Yukina said, "What do you mean, he found me?" Behind Moriko, Hiei slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead, before running his hand through his hair.

Unaware of this, Moriko replied, "Back in the 1890's here, when Hiei and I were very close, he rarely spoke of anything other than his sister. He was desperate to find you and I am very happy he did!" Moriko continued, not registering the look of shock on everyone's face, "I am partially happy for him, but partly happy for myself. I do not know if he told you or not, but h kept leaving me alone in this wretched realm in order to search for his sister, an ice maiden named Yukina! And between you and me," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I am glad you are his sister. If not, I would be afraid he would fall in love with you because you are so beautiful." She said this all quickly, grinning until she saw Yukina's face. The smile vanished and she said, her voice dead, "You had not told her yet, had you."

Since Hiei had been struck dumb by how thoroughly and quickly his secret had been revealed, Kurama answered for him, "Nope."

"Oops." She said, "Oh, well. We cannot undo what has already been done. Will you be my maid of honor?" Then, in a mutinous voice she whispered, "If he does not ask me to marry him soon, _I_ am going to ask _him_."

"Sure," Yukina said, once she had recovered from shock. She didn't know why Hiei hadn't told her but she was happy all the same. Happy because this girl's joy was contagious. Happy because she finally knew whom her brother was. Happy for him, Hiei. Happy for her… "Just one thing. What's your name?"

"Moriko," Moriko laughed, "Or Forest Child, whichever."

* * *

And so the wedding was planned and took place. Yukina was her maid of honor, Kurama stood in as his best man.

When the time came, Hiei slipped a ring on her finger. It was nothing more than a small silver band, set with six small black stones. He then leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, "I obtained this the day after I left you so many years ago, before I had received that letter you wrote. It was the ring I was going to give you when I returned again. The stones are from the demon plane. They are of a variety that can be very useful or very dangerous, depending on how they are used. You can have people up to six people who are close to you imbue a stone with their aura. Then if you are looking for one of them, the ring can lead you to them. Whether they are hiding their aura, in a different realm, or just down the street, you will be able to find them." He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Thank you so much. Now I will never lose you again. Will you be the first to put part of your aura in my ring?"

He touched one of the stones and released a small amount of his aura into it. It glowed red, then gold, then blue. Finally it settled down as a reddish gold that seemed to dance, as if the stone itself was on fire. It radiated a soft warmth that did not fade. Hiei said quietly, "The stones will only turn black again if they have been drained of aura. The only way for that to happen is for the person who the aura belongs to, to die or if you or that person personally remove the aura."

She said to him, "Thank you. There is nothing better you could have given me." And it was true. She had been given what she had wanted—longed for—for the past century—a way to find Hiei. "What color would it turn for me?"

"Probably a shade of green. Although smooth, it would probably appear to have some sort of plant-like texture."

Moriko smiled. Then something occurred to her and she turned to look at her brother. "That miniscule green stud earring you always wore in you left ear," she breathed, "the one nobody ever saw because it was hidden in your hair. That is how you always tracked me down when I would try to escape."

Kurama nodded, not denying anything, "Yes, but we can save the rest of this conversation for later. You two have a wedding that needs to be finished."

Moriko giggled and Hiei rolled his eyes, but they did as Kurama had suggested.

When that was done, Hiei swept Moriko off her feet and whisked her away so quickly that nobody else could follow him—on foot or with their eyes—and they were gone, off to do who knew what.


	22. Epilogue

I only own Moriko.

This is the epilogue/final chapter. :( and :) I'm sad it's over, but happy as well because it will give me more time to obsess over my other stories.

This chapter is dedicated to…

demonlrd66, g2fan, RoTw, Hu Edith, Just 2 Dream Of You, Animefouryou, condorfan, And the Eternally Silent, HaliDarkFire, Kyrie Twilight, demonic blood shed666, Dinero, double delight rose, Silverwing013, and ai12love.

In other words, all the people who have reviewed this story so far… Thanks so much for your support, you guys!

Please read and review this story, one last time.

* * *

One Hundred Years Later…

Hiei stands looking out at an empty plain from the top of a hill. His eyes are softer, his stance more relaxed. He still carries the katana, but only to protect _them_. As he stares out across the fields before him, his hand is around Moriko's waist. Through her loose clothing he can feel the hilt of a dagger and he knows that she doesn't really need his protection.

She is still very small, with dark hair and eyes. One of the first things people comment on when they meet her is her beauty; she is absolutely radiant, especially when Hiei is there. The next thing people notice is often her wedding ring and its incongruous colors. Only two stones remain black. One is the hot, reddish gold that seems to contain fire. Hiei's stone.

Another is a deep shade of green, yet it appears delicate somehow. It appears to be never-ending and gives the impression that you could pull an entire forest from its depths. Moriko and her brother are closer now than ever before.

The fifth is a very pale blue, almost crystal. It glistens. Like Hiei's stone is always hot, this one is the opposite. It is always cold, frozen. Moriko and Yukina love and care for each other deeply, as sisters.

The last is almost opalescent. It changes colors frequently due to the angle of the light—and changes with Yusuke's mood. Moriko and Yusuke have grown close, mainly due to the fact that it was essentially he who brought her and Hiei back together and she is endlessly thankful for that.

So they stand together watching the sunset, the hills and the plain on fire. It is beautiful. The sun's rays reach out only to meet the flames already there.

Moriko and Hiei's youngest children were fooling around, setting fire to the grass, but their parents don't mind, if they even notice. Their fire only adds to the glory of the end of the day.

Moriko makes a clicking noise with her tongue. The flames die out, the grass grows back, there is no indication that anyone was ever there. Hiei and Moriko turned and then the entire family runs, disappearing together into the darkness that now engulfs the landscape.


End file.
